ICYMI: Watch the 2022 Neighborhood Mini-Grant Video on our YouTube page!

Returning in 2023: Crowdsourced Conversations – A Forum Series Curated by the People for the People.

Once again, FutureHeights and Friends are bringing you a conversation-based forum series that brings Heights residents together to talk about topics that matter to us all.

We received approximately 50 suggested topics for our CC’23 and after a month-long community-wide vote, we arrived at our Top 4!

2023 SERIES TOPICS & DATES:

#1: Our Public Schools

• the topic survey will run March 1-March 31
• the forum will take place on April 26 from 7pm-8:30pm in the cafeteria at Heights High School

#2: Traveling Around Town

• the topic survey will run May 1-May 31
• the forum will take place at the end of June (details TBD)

#3: Rental Properties & Absentee/Negligent Landlords

• the topic survey will run July 1-July 31
• the forum will take place at the end of August (details TBD)

#4: Planning and Development for the Heights

• the topic survey will run September 1-September 30
• the forum will take place at the end of October (details TBD)

HOW CROWDSOURCED CONVERSATIONS FLOWS:

Pre-event: Each forum will have a pre-survey that will be widely circulated through the Heights for approximately one month.  After the survey closes, we will generate a report and we will also use the survey responses to formulate action-oriented discussion topics for forum night.  Survey reports will be posted on our website in addition to being shared with community partners and event attendees.

Event day: During each forum, participants will enjoy the company of small breakout groups where, with the assistance of facilitators and notetakers, they will engage in dialogue around the evening’s topic.  Discussion questions will be geared towards ways that participants can find something actionable they can do in regards to this topic they care so much about.  After the small group discussion, we will reconvene as a group-at-large to share what ideas were generated.

Post-event: We recognize how huge the Crowdsourced Conversations topics are and would never presume we’d cover everything in one evening.  So, with that in mind, we send each group their notes and any other handouts/resources that were presented during the forum — and we also invite the groups to stay in touch as well!  We encourage participants to stay connected post-forum and hope they will return to their group for the next in the conversation series to keep the conversation flowing, build community connections, and continue to brainstorm actionable ideas.  Additionally, each forum topic will have a resource page on our website that includes group-generated ideas, survey results, small group questions, and more!  These resource pages will be co-created by all of our community partners, event participants, and others with expertise on the topic.

Program goal: We began this series in 2022 in response to feedback that so many community events are “all talk and no action or no follow through.”  With Crowdsourced Conversations, we amplify participant voices and connect residents with one another to have action-oriented discussions.  Sometimes a participant’s follow-up actions may be seemingly small (for instance, at one of our 2022 forums, a resident learned about and then downloaded the Access Cleveland Heights app — a game-changer for that individual!) or seemingly large (one volunteer-based group used both the survey findings and what came up in in the small group discussions as a means to create their programming for the rest of the year).  While it’s true that some of the issues we want to see action on might be the responsibility of a larger entity, our hope is that participants can find something actionable that they feel empowered to do.  After all,  “everyday residents” hold immense potential to generate change in their community.  

• View our resource pages here.
• Subscribe to the Heights Observer Weekly e-news so you get all updates about Crowdsourced Conversations, including when surveys are in-progress as well as updates about the forums themselves.

This forum series will be an opportunity to connect with other Heights residents about topics that impact us in a variety of overlapping ways. We hope you can join us for all four conversations! Any questions, connect with Sarah – swolf@futureheights.org.

THANK YOU!

This forum series is being planned in partnership with FutureHeights Community & Civic Engagement Committee, Reaching Heights, CH-UH Libraries, Home Repair Resource Center, City of Cleveland Heights Racial Justice Task Force, Racial Inequity Repair Committee of Forest Hill Church, Cleveland Heights Green Team, representatives of Cleveland Heights City Council, and more.  Thank you for the joy, wisdom, and enthusiasm you bring to the table!

MORE FORUM DETAILS HERE.

We can’t believe it’s almost time for the 2022 finale of our Crowdsourced Conversations forum series!  For our fourth event, we are excited to welcome our Heights friends and neighbors to a discussion about Civic Engagement happening Wednesday, October 26th from 7pm-8:30pm at in the Fellowship Hall at Disciples Christian Church (3663 Mayfield Road). We will have opening remarks from Councilman Tony Cuda and Jen Holland (Reaching Heights, CH-UH PTA, Building Heights), but the majority of our time together will be spent in small group discussions.

Just as always in this series, we will be relying on the crowdsourced responses from our housing survey to craft small group discussion questions.  

Crowdsourced Conversations is Not Your Average Forum Series. Over the course of these four discussion-based events, our goal is to provide opportunities for community members to connect with each other and co-create actionable steps to make the changes you wish to see!

All are welcome!  It is free to attend.  Pre-registration is strongly preferred.

REGISTER HERE.

HOW THIS SERIES FLOWS

Each forum will have a pre-survey for you to fill out. We will use your answers to help formulate discussion topics for forum night. During each forum, participants will enjoy the company of small breakout groups where, with the assistance of facilitators, they will dive into the questions generated by survey respondents. After small group discussion, we will reconvene as a group-at-large to share what we talked about. And even after we say our goodbyes, we will keep in touch and keep the conversation flowing, build community connections, and continue to brainstorm actionable ideas.

2022 SERIES TOPICS & DATES:

#1: Sustainability – Wednesday, April 27th from 7pm-8:30pm at Coventry PEACE

#2: Housing & Neighborhood Preservation – Tuesday, June 28th from 7pm-8:30pm at Forest Hill Church

#3: Community Safety – Wednesday, August 31st from 7pm-8:30pm at Denison Park’s picnic pavilion

#4: Civic Engagement – Wednesday, October 26th from 7pm-8:30pm at Disciples Christian Church

This forum series will be an opportunity to connect with other Heights residents about topics that impact us in a variety of overlapping ways. We hope you can join us for all four conversations! Stay tuned for more details soon. Any questions, connect with Sarah – swolf@futureheights.org.

More info here.

THANK YOU!

This forum series is being planned in partnership with FutureHeights Community & Civic Engagement Committee, Cleveland Heights Green Team, Home Repair Resource Center, City of Cleveland Heights Racial Justice Task Force, Racial Inequity Repair Committee of Forest Hill Church, representatives of Cleveland Heights City Council, and more. Thank you for the joy, wisdom, and enthusiasm you bring to the table!

FutureHeights is proud to partner with the Cleveland Heights Green Team on their Fall 2022 Eco Fair.  CHGT on the event, in their own words:

The purpose of the Heights Eco Fair is to raise awareness about issues and solutions, find opportunities to volunteer and contribute to ongoing efforts, and to spark ideas for new collaborations.” The lineup of exhibitors and partners is extensive and organized in four categories: Sustainable Living, Healthy Living, Eco Kids, and Swap Zone.

Please support this community effort by helping us promote the event through your social media, with neighbors, family, and friends. There are also a significant number of opportunities to volunteer since the fair will be double the size from last year, with more exhibitors, activities, and partnerships.

Join the fun on Saturday, October 8 from 12pm-4pm at the Coventry PEACE Park!

Volunteers Needed!  Click here if you’re interested in helping out.

Volunteer options:

11.00 am-12.00 pm: Set up

12.00 pm-2.00 pm: Welcome Table; CHGT Table; CHGT Recycling Challenge – Art Exhibit

12.00 pm-4.00 pm: Master of Ceremony/DJ; Guest Services (ensure event is running smoothly)

4.00 pm-4.30 pm: Clean up

Visit chgreenteam.org for more info.

FutureHeights is excited to welcome Emily Saxon for her 2022-2023 academic year as our community-practice intern.  Meet her in her own words:

Hello! My name is Emily, and I’m excited to be Future Height’s new intern. I am a Master of Social Work student at CWRU, and my interests lie at the intersections of social and economic development, community empowerment, and antiracism. I’m a native of St. Louis, Missouri, where I lived until I went off to Michigan State University (MSU) for my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I then worked for a year at MSU’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative, which provides vital health and developmental resources and services to children and families affected by the Flint, Michigan water crisis. During my time as a student at MSU, I gained experience from several community-building endeavors. For two years, I worked with fellow students and staff to create a volunteering initiative, which pairs MSU students and local senior citizens together for social interaction and the fostering of intergenerational relationships. I also conducted research on youth violence prevention, on the wellbeing and health of teens of color in public high schools, and on sexual misconduct prevention at universities. I am new to Cleveland, so I am enjoying exploring the Metroparks, downtown, new restaurants and coffee shops, and meeting residents new and old. I am especially looking forward to getting to know the Cleveland Heights and University Heights communities!

For many years now, Jessica Schantz has served as the E-News Manager for the Heights Observer and we are pleased to announce her expanded role as the FutureHeights Office Manager.  In addition to her continued work on the Observer e-news, she will be working on Membership and Donations and just may be the pleasant voice you hear answering our office phone.  We are so thrilled Jessica is taking on this expanded role and are looking forward to all the magic her creative spirit will bring to the FutureHeights family.

WE INVITE YOU TO VISIT OUR CO-CREATED ADEI RESOURCE LIBRARY!

We know and believe that “Black History Month” is not only for February. FutureHeights is committed to utilizing a lens of Anti-Racism Diversity Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) in our work each and every day. We are forever on a quest to continue our education, both individually (as a staff member, board member, or committee member) and collectively.

As part of that process, our Community & Civic Engagement Committee (CCEC) is curating this resource library through input from the FutureHeights family and through our community partners, friends, and neighbors.  If you have a suggestion for an addition to the library, please click here and complete this form or email Sarah at swolf@futureheights.org.

If you are interested in joining CCEC, please email Sarah – swolf@futureheights.org.

ACCESS THE ADEI RESOURCE LIBRARY HERE!

If you have any questions or feedback about this resource library, please reach out to Sarah – swolf@futureheights.org.

Deanna Bremer Fisher has resigned as FutureHeights Executive Director

Join us in congratulating Kathleen Fant on her retirement

After more than 7 years with the organization, FutureHeights Bookkeeper Kathleen Fant is retiring. She will be leaving the organization as of March 31. Kathleen has been an integral part of the FutureHeights team, adeptly managing our books, administering our classified advertising program, and so much more. She has been the quiet force behind the scenes, who has made sure everything has run smoothly, and she will be greatly missed. Please join us in thanking Kathleen for her contributions to FutureHeights and in wishing her well in her retirement.